Fox(LOS ANGELES) -- Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane says he expected some fans to be upset by the death of Brian the dog, but he never expected the rage that erupted, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Speaking to reporters Monday at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour, MacFarlane said, "We were all very surprised -- in a good way -- that people still cared about that character to be that angry. It didn't occur to us. We thought it would maybe create a little bit of a stir, but the rage was not something we counted on."

During the Nov. 25 episode of Family Guy, Brian was hit by a car and killed and a new dog, named Vinny, was added to the show a week later. However, a petition calling for Brian's return was circulated and three weeks later, Brian came back to life when the Griffin family's son, Stewie, went back in time and prevented the accident.

MacFarlane said on Monday that he considers the plot stunt a success.

"Based on the numbers, it helped because it did what it was designed to do: It reminded people that this is still a show where anything can happen despite the fact that it's been on for a while," MacFarlane said.